Drifting-valve for locomotives.



v W. HDFOSTER. D'BIFTING VALVE FOR LOCOMOTIVES. APrucATmu mao ges. 2, 1915.

w. H. FOSTER'.

DRIFTING V'fILVI-I FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1915.

1,137,201 Y Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNES E l INVENTOR WILLIAM H. FOSTER, OF FLUSHING, NEW YORK.

DRIFTING-VALVE EUR` LOCOSIOTIVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

Application filed February 2, 1815. Serial No.'5,632.

cahility in locomotive engines of the various' present standard cinistriuftimis, particularlv those operated h v snpcrheated steam. whereby the iorniation ol: a vacuum in the c vl inders, when the throttle valve is closed, will he automatically prevented. thereby preventinaY instand cinilers lroin being drawn into the cilinders when the locannotive is dri Ming."f or running' with throttle closed, and propcr lubrication olA the 'ovlindcrs will he insured and caibonization ot oil therein prevented. by causing' a limited amount oi' stcani to luc passed through thcin continuously during operation.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set vforth.

ln the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section. oiV so niiich o'l a locomotive engine as illustra the application ol' my invention thereto: Fir; a longitudinal central tion. on an enlarged scale. through a loco- ".otive lri'i'tinlf vulve mechanism embodyin;` niv l invention: Fiets. il and trai-.sverse sections. on the lines ,1' and i/ ,//l respectively. oit lfiA i; Fin'. 3, a longitudinal central section through a driftingr valve mechanism. illustratingy n structural inodiiication; and, Fig. l". :i transverse section through the saine. on the line e oi' Fig. Y.

Mv invention herein exemplified as applied in a locomotive Online in which the supply and exhaust of steam to :ind from the cylinders. 41. are controlled by distribution valves, 2. of the inside admission pist-on type. which are rcciiirocatcd in valve chests, 8, in the cylinder saddles, in the ordinary manner.

Referring lirst to Figs. l to fl inclusive, in thc practice of my invention, l' provide a plate. il, which *is supported in any conve-niently accessible position on a locomotive cn- `eine. as by being secured to the running board or to the boiler. A valve case or chest, 5 formed in fgral with, or secured to, the plate, l. and is connected, on one side,

y a supply pipe, (i, with a source of boiler steam supply, whichis preferably, as shown, a turret or small dome, 7, on the boiler, coin` ninnication between the pipe and turret bcing controlled by a manually operable valve, i, The valve case is connected` on its 0pposite side, by a delivery pipe, 8, to points in the conduit of communication between 'the boiler and the valve chests, as, for example, to the discharge side of the superheatcd steam header, in a superheated steam locomotive, or eqi'iivalcntly to the side steam supplvjpipes, 9, leading to the valve chests, as shown. I

Communication between the supply and delivery pipes, G and 8. which is closed when the locomotive is standing, is controlled by a steam admission valve, 10, which is fitted to operate in the valve case, 5, and, in the instance herein exemplified. comprises three piston heads, a, Z1, and c, which are formed on or lixed to a body or spool, d, and are each provided with packing rings, to make steam tight joints with the 'bore of the valve caf-ie. The admission valve is normally brought to and held in the position shown in Fig. 2, in which it closes communication between ports, c, in the valve case, which are open to thc supply pipe, and ports, f, in said case, which are open to the delivery pipe, h v a spring, 11. bearing against the piston, c, and against a screw cap, 5a, closing one end of the valve case.

The steam admission valve, 10, is moved to position to open communication hctvveen the supply and delivery pipes, 6 and S, and thereby to admit steam to the cylinders independentlyotl the main steam supply pipe under the control of the. throttle valve. by

vmechanism which is actuated either bythe formation ot' a partial vacuum in the cylinders or by an accretion of pressure therein, when the locomotive is running with the throttle valve closed, by automatically acting fluid pressure mechanism which will now be described.

A cylinder, 12, which may be descriptively termed the presso-e cylinder, is forme plate 1, in line axially wit i the Valve case, 5, and a cylinder, 13, Whicl may be descriptively termed the vacinl 1 cylinder, is similarly fixed to the platt. 4, above and parallel with the cylinder, 12. The cylinders, 1:2 and 13, are fitted YVith properly packed pistons, 14 and 15, respectively, which are xed, respectively, on piston rods,

integral with, or secured to, the.

14a and 15a, extending outwardly in the direction of the valve case, 5, the outer end of the piston rod, 14, normally standing closely adjacent to the piston, a, of the steam heads, 12b and 13, respectively. The end.

of the piston rod, 15?, nearer the valve ease, is coupled to the upper arm of a double armed lever, 18, journaled on a pin, 18, fixed to the plate, fl, and the/lower arm of said lever normally stands closely adjacent to the piston, a, of the steam admission valve, 10, l

T he end of the cylinder, 13,.vvhich is closed by the head, 13a, is connected, vby a pipe, 17, with one of the Ydistribution'valve chests, 3, of the locomotive, and the end ofthecylinder, 12, which is closed by the head, 12a, is similarly connected With said distribution valve chest, bya pipe, 19, leading from the pipe, 17, into av port in the cylinder head, 12a. When in normal or inoperative position, the piston, 14,"of the pressure cylinder, fits against a seat, 12C, formed on or fiXed to the cylinder head, 12a, and of substantially smaller diameter than the boreof the cylinder, in order that a higher pressure may be required. to start the piston from its., seat than to move it further after being unseated. An air port, 13, is formed in the head, 13b, of the vacuum cylinder, 13, forthe admission of atmospheric pressure to the right hand side of the piston, 15.

In the operation of the appliance, steam i having been admitted to the supply pipe, 6, by opening the valve, 7a, and` assuming the locomotive to .be standing, with .its throttle valve closed, steam will enter the-.valve case, 5, through the ports, e, between the pistons, Z) and c, of the steam admission valve, and these being of equal diameters, the pressures upon them will be equal, and the valve will remain closed, preventing delivery of steam through the pipe, 8. When the throttle Iis opened, steam will pass therefrom to the side supply pipes, 9, and the valve chests,A 3,

' and thence, through the induction and eduction ports1",l to the cylinders, and will also pass though the pipes, 17 and 19, to the pressure and vacuum cylinders, 12 and 13.y

When the main throttle valve is opened for the running of the locomotive, steam will pass through the pipes, 17 and 19, to the pressure and vacuum cylinders, 12 and 13. The piston'of the vacuum cylinder, being in its extreme right hand position, will remain stationary, and the pistou of the pressure cylinder 12, will be moved from its left hand to its right hand position, in which movement its rod, 14, will similarly move the steam admission valve, 10, the piston` lb, of

to the steam delivery pipe, 8, and admitting steam to the valve chests and cylinders, i'ndependently of the main throttle valve@ The volume of steam so admitted' being,

however, small, relatively to that admitted' by the throttle valve, will be overbalanced by the latter and will-not involve any objectionable result.

. When the throttle is closed and the Inovement of. the locomotive continues at any substantial degree of speed, as in drifting, if the reverse lever isv in short out off position, so as to effect a comparatively short traverse of the distribution valves, 2, in the usual manner, the compression developed .in the valve chests, 3, bythe movements of the pistons in the cylinders, Will be correspondingly developed in the' pipes, 17 and 1,9, and

connected pressurecylinder, 14, and being resisted only by the spring, 11, the piston of the pressure cylinder will remain in its right hand position, maintaining the admission valve, 10, in open position, and boiler steam will continue to be supplied to the cylinders during the drifting of the locomotive.`

If the reverse lever is moved to give the distribution 'valve substantially lon-ger tra v el and the movement (of the locomotive at any substantial speed continues, a partial vacuum would be formed in the valve chests and cylinders, With a correspondingreduction of pressure on the left, hand sides of the pistons of the pressure and vacuum cylinders, and the spring, 1 1`\vould more the admission valve, 10, to closed position, un-

.less opposed by a resistance greater than the tension of the spring. This resistance is exerted by the piston, 1 5, of thevacuum cylinder, Which, under the conditions then ex-r tion; if already open, or moves it thereto, it

in `closed position. It'will therefore be seen that the appliance effects the admission of steam to the valve chests and cylinders, independently of the main supply past the throttle, by either the formation of a vacuumv or by an accretion of pressure, during the drifting of the locomotive.

When the locomotive is standing with its throttle closed, there Will be only atmospheric pressure in the cylinders and valve. chests, and consequently Vthe same pressure in the pressure and vacuum cylinders. The sprin 11, `vvill, under these conditions, force the a mission valve, 10,` and the pistons, 1-'l and 15, into the normal positions shown in tion, with Fig. fi, tl ereloj.1 automatically cutting oli" the inde endeot supply ot steain to the inain ci"'iid :rs, l, through the pipe, o". This is a ii'ulependent supply of steam. was, throi negligence. permitted to continue, the sure in ti cylinders might incr the locoinot Y v *annual results. Th reduction ot etlccti ve area oi' the piston, la'

cientiv to cause the undesiret` niove'nent of o'l' against the seat, 12C, when in ncrinal posith. admission valve, l0, closed7 vero-@nies any tendencyY to undesired niovenient ot the piston, as might otherwise be caused leaky throttle.

Figs, and 6 illust ate a structural modification embodying the saine operative prin ciple and etecting the same result, with the further advantage of relieving the pistoia of the vacuum cylinder from spring resistance.

The pressure cylinder, l2, and vacuum cylinder, 13, are substantially similar to those first described, and siinilarljvT mounted upon a supporting rlate, i, and connected by pipes, l? and 1Q, with the main cylinders and valve chests oit ne locomotive. Instead,

vlio'ivever, of providing a single admission valve,JA actuated by the pistons of both the pressure and the vacuum cylinder, tivo admission valves, l0, each substantially siinilar to that first described, are, in this construction, secured to the supporting plate, 4, in line axially with the pressure and the vacuum cylinders, respectively. The steam supply pipe, 6, leading from the boiler, is connected by a 'l' tting, Ga, to the cases, 5, of the admission valves, and the delivery pipe, 8, is branched to connect both valve cases with the conduit ot' communication i from the throttle valve to the distribution construction first described, the admission ot' steam to the main cylinders being ett'ectecl automatically, independently ot' the supply from the .throttle valve. either bv the fornia tion of a vacuum or the accretion of pres- 'sure in the main cylinders when the locomotive is drifting, and being autonniticalljv cut 01T when the throttle closed and the locomotive sltoi'igfied. Ville independent supply1 oi steam ifs-eilected b v one or the other ot the tivo admission valves, as the case may loe, according to the pressure conditions in the main cylinders.

of substantial importance, as ii this Experience With superheated steam locomotives has developed that considerable clitiicult;y has been experienced by the car honization of oil in the cylinders, and that, when dritting, there is a gurmny and sticky deposit of oil on the cylinders, and that the adhesion, to this guinmy deposit, ot' dirt drawn into the cylinders when the engine is dritting to aniT extent with throttle entirely closed, con verts it into a con'iposition which rapidlj.' vvears away the pacliing'rings and piston heads, and injures the cylinders. lt 4has also heen found in practice that a, constant sinall admission of steam to the cylinders tends to insure proper lubrication and prevent the carbonization oic the oil, ant-,l that good resnlts have been obtained by keeping the throttle slightlvv open vvhen the engine was drifting. rl`he objections to this latterv practice are, however, manifest to thoseslilled in the operation ot locomotives, and itivill he equally obi vous that these vfill be avoided b v the application my invention, in the operation oi' which steam is automatically admit-teilte the valve chests and cylinders, entirelyv independently the throttle valve, `when the engine is, drittin'fj, whether the distribution valves are operating on a short or a long cut off, and the independent admission automatically out olif when the engine is standing, with. its throttle closed.

l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. ln a drifting valve appliance t'or locomotives` the combination ot a passage adapted to establish communication between a locomotive boiler and a distrilmtion valve chest. independently of main steainsuppljv, valve mechanism controlling said passage, actuatingv mechanism'for impartingv openingr movement to said valve. mechanism, and means for automaticallv subjectingT said actuating mechanism either to the action ot vacuum or of compre sion in a valve cliesto:` @vlinder of a locmnotive, when not under main steam supply.

S2. ln a drifting; valve appliance for loco motives. the combination ot' a passage adapted to establish communication between a. locomotive boiler and a distrilmtion valve chest,y independcntlj.' ot main steam supply, valve mechanism controllingr said pass ge, actuating mechanism for imparting movement to said valve mechanism, means for autoimiticallv subjecting said actuating mechanism either to the action of vacuunr or of compression in a valve chest or cylinder ot' a locomotive, when not under main steam supply, to etiect opening movement of said valve mechanism, and means for antoniaticallv imparting closinnr movementto said valve mechanism when the locomotive is stationary.

3. n a drifting Valve appliance for locomotives, the combination of a passage adapted to establish communication between a locomotive boiler and a distribution valve ches'tvindependently of main steam supply, valve mechanism controlling said passage, a piston subject on opposite sides to distribution valve chest or. cylinder pressure and to spring resistance, an independent piston subject on opposite sides to distribution valve chest pressure and to atmospheric pressure, and means for independently imparting movement from said pistons to said valve mechanism.

4. In a drifting valve appliance for locomotives, the combination of a passage adapted to establish communication between a4 locomotive boiler and a distribution valve chest independently of .main steam supply, valve mechanism controlling said passage, a piston subject on opposite sides to distribution valve chest or cylinder pressure and'to spring resistance and adapted to impart opening movement to' said valve mechanism by preponderance of pressure over resistance, another piston subject on oppositesides t o distribution'valve chest or cylinder pressure and to atmospheric pressure and adapted to impart opening movement to said valve mechanism by the formation of a vacuum in a distribution valve chest, and means for independently transmitting movement from said pistons to said valve mechanism,

5. In a drifting valve appliance for locomotives, the combination of av passage adapted to establish communication between a locomotive boiler and a distribution valve chest independently of main steam supply, two admission valves, -independently controlling s'aid passage, a piston subject on opposite sides to distribution valve chest or cylinder pressure and to spring resistance and adapted to impart opening movement to one of said admission valves by preponderance of pressure over resistance, vanother piston subject'on opposite sidesvto' distribution valve chest or cylinder pressure and to atmospheric pressure and adapted to imnart opening movement to the other admission valve by the formation of a vacuum in a locomotive cylinder, and means for transmitting movement from each of said pistons to one of the admission valves` 6. In drifting valve appliance for locomotives, the combination of a support, twoA valve cases connected thereto, a steam supply pipe adapted to communicate with a source ot boiler steam supply and leading into cach of said valve cases, a steam delivery pipe leading out of each of said valve cases and adapted to communicate with the supply conduit cfa distribution valvechest, two admission valves, 'each tittedin one of said valve cases and controlling communication between the supply and delivery pipes, two valve actuating cylinders'connected to the support, each opposite one ofthe valve cases, pipes establishing communication between one end of each cylinder and a locomotive valve chest or cylinder, pistons fitted in each of the valve actuating cylinders, piston rods transmitting movement from sa-id pistons to the admission valves, and a spring bearing on one of said piston-3 on the side farther from the pipe leading into said cylinder.

7. In a drifting valve appliance `for locomotlves, the combination of a passage adapted to establish,communication between a locomotive boiler and a distribution valve chest independently of main steam supply, an admission valve controlling said passage, an actuating cylinder, a head closing one end of said vcylinder and having a piston seat of smaller diameter than the bore thereof, a pipe leading from an opening in said head to a locomotive cylinder, a piston fitting the actuating cylinder and normally bearing on the piston'seat, a rod through whichA movement of the piston is transinitted to the admission valve, and a spring exerting tension on said piston in direction to move it toward its normal seated position.

WILLIAM H. FOSTER. 

